Sorrel Anderson

Sorrel Anderson is the pen name of Susie Howarth, author of the fabulously funny ‘Clumsies’ series for 7 to 10 year-olds all about the adventures of two biscuit-loving mice and their hard-pressed human friend, Howard (published by HarperCollins).

Sorrel Anderson hasn’t always been a writer. Once upon a time she worked as a civil servant, and it was there that she found the inspiration for her characters – quite literally. One morning she came into work to find a pair of mice in a plastic bag under her desk, eating up her biscuits. She named them Purvis and Mickey Thompson, and that very day, the Clumsies were born!

The first book about Purvis and Mickey Thompson and their friends Allen the dog, Ortrud the baby elephant and, of course, Howard is called ‘The Clumsies make a Mess’ and, like all the Clumsies titles, it is brilliantly illustrated throughout by Nicola Slater and published by HarperCollins. It was also shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2010. There are now 6 books in the series and the most recent is ‘The Clumsies Make a Mess of the Airport.’

“Occasionally a book comes along that makes my children collapse into fits of giggles… my children were near hysterical by the end of the first paragraph.”
The Telegraph Magazine